My first tutorial! I have figured out how to make a nice looking sequin and I thought I would share the how-to with those who would like to make their own. I am using Photoshop CS2. The instructions may work with other versions of Photoshop. So lets get started.

Feel free to print out TUTORIAL: Sequins for your own personal use. Please do NOT redistribute TUTORIAL: Sequins in any way without permission. If you wish to share TUTORIAL: Sequins with others send them to Candace Duffy Jones Designs instead.
You may use this link: http://candaceduffyjones.com/2007/09/tutorial-sequins/


This work by Candace Duffy Jones is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

1. Open a half inch by half inch 300DPI document in Photoshop. Our sequin will be smaller than that, about .4 inches, but this will give use some space to work in.

2. Fill the background, using the paint bucket tool, with a color that is different from your sequin color so that you can see it more clearly as you work. Since I am making a purple sequin I chose a pink background (R232, G161, B185).

3. Create a new layer in your layer palette by clicking on the Create a New Layer icon. Next we will draw a circle for the basic shape of the sequin. Chose your sequin color and make that you foreground color. I am using a purple (R171, G114, B171).

Select the Ellipse Tool and draw a circle slightly smaller than the document (hold down the shift key to make a perfect circle). Make sure in your options bar that you have Fill Pixels selected.

4. Create a new layer in your layer palette by clicking on the Create a New Layer icon. In this layer we will be drawing a small hexagon to make the inside of the sequin. Select a darker color of your base sequin color. I am using R148, G91, B148.

Select the Polygon tool. In the Tool Option bar change Sides: 6. From the center of the circle draw a small hexagon the size you would like the middle section to be. You may want to use guides to find the center.

5. Now we will add the angled facets of the sequin. Double click beside the layer name.

The Layer Style dialog will open. select Bevel and Emboss. Change the settings to Style: Outer Bevel, Technique: Chisel Hard, Depth: 100, Direction: Down, Size: 43 (this will actually vary depending on your sequin size, adjust it so that the bevel reaches just outside the sequin circle), Angel: 120, Global Light: checked, Altitude: 30, Gloss Contour: Rounded Steps, Anti-aliased: checked, Highlight Mode: Screen, Color: white, Opacity: 60, Shadow Mode: Multiply, Color: black, Opacity: 40.

6. Select Pattern Overlay. Change the settings to Blend Mode: Soft Light, Opacity: 25, Pattern: Satin, Scale: 145, Link with Layer: checked. Click OK.

7. Double-click next the circle layer name. The Layer Style dialog select Pattern Overlay. Change the settings to Blend Mode: Linear Burn, Opacity: 5, Pattern: Satin, Scale: 80. Link with Layer: checked. Click OK.

8. Create a new layer about the Hexagon layer. Merge the new layer and the Hexagon layer together. This will flatten the layer style into the layer

.

9. Hold down the Ctrl key and click on the thumbnail of the circle layer. Hit Shift+Ctrl+I to invert the selection. Select the Hexagon layer and hit the delete key. Click Ctrl+D to deselect.

10. Now your sequin is complete, well almost. Most sequins have a tiny hole. I just used the easer tool with a size nine brush to make the hole on both layers (or you can merge the layers then only make one hole).

Before you save it as a png make sure you hide the background layer so that the background is transparent.

Well that is all for this tutorial. I hope it was clear and helpful. Please leave some feedback, I would like to know what you thought of the tutorial. Is there anything I should change in how I present it, etc. I plan on adding more tutorials in the future and any feedback will help me improve how I post them.

Feel free to print out TUTORIAL: Sequins for your own personal use. Please do NOT redistribute TUTORIAL: Sequins in any way without permission. If you wish to share TUTORIAL: Sequins with others send them to Candace Duffy Jones Designs instead.
You may use this link: http://candaceduffyjones.com/2007/09/tutorial-sequins/


This work by Candace Duffy Jones is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.